Massachusetts Housing Groups Plan 2026 Ballot Rent Control Initiative

A coalition of Massachusetts housing advocacy groups, Homes for All Mass, has filed an initiative petition with the state Attorney General to place a statewide rent control measure on the November 2026 ballot. The proposed law would cap annual rent increases at the rate of inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, but not exceeding 5%, with exemptions for small owner-occupied buildings and new constructions for the first ten years. This comes after years of legislative inaction and mounting frustration over rising housing costs, which advocates argue are displacing low- and middle-income residents and making homeownership increasingly unattainable. Supporters say rent stabilization would provide immediate relief while new housing is built, though opposition from the real estate industry remains strong. If passed, Massachusetts would have one of the strictest statewide rent control laws in the country, a significant shift from the 1994 ban on rent control. The measure reflects growing public support for tenant protections amid an ongoing housing crisis.